


Be More Careful

by smolsicky



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, but let's be real, i also ship drarry, i love these cuties, my biggest ship is draco getting a happy ending cause its what he deserves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 18:11:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18696676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolsicky/pseuds/smolsicky
Summary: Draco and Hermione both came back to Hogwarts to finish their seventh year, and suddenly they’re studying together in the library and everything is changing. I wrote this as Dramione but it can 100% also be a general Draco needs friends and redemption arc story.





	Be More Careful

“That’s my spot.”

Hermione frowned at her History of Magic textbook, not even bothering to look up. She knew that voice. 

“Well, looks like you’ll need to find another one.”

Draco Malfoy let out an angry wheeze before loudly setting all his books down on the table on the other side of her. 

This did make her look up, eyebrows raised. 

“Can I help you with something?” she asked briskly, continuing to write on her scroll, her eyes never leaving Draco’s. 

“The rest of this library is full of idiotic third years. I’m sitting here. You can leave or you can stay, I don’t much care.” 

He definitely cared. Every move was methodical, from him taking a scroll and quill from his bag to him carefully and quietly paging his way through his Charms book. Hermione watched the whole affair. 

It took her a bit to gather up the courtesy to start a conversation.

“So. You came back.”

He started when she spoke, splattering a bit of ink on the scroll and murmuring a curse. She looked closer at him. The war had changed him, wound him tighter. Hermione’s eyes glided across the veins in his thin pale hands, his boney knuckles against his dark quill. 

“Yes. I did.” His voice was careful, formal. He studiously avoided eye contact, instead fixing his gaze on her prefect badge. He had one too, shining green on his chest. She hadn’t been surprised to find him with it during the Start of Term feast. She had been more surprised he was there at all. He was the only one from their year besides her to return to complete their education, and amongst the lively students, he looked terribly out of place. Hermione had still been friends with plenty of the younger Gryffindors. Her and Ginny had a regular study table in the Gryffindor common room. But Draco? He had no one. She’d watched him wilt as the year continued. Now he was a shadow of the braggadocious Malfoy she used to know. He was transparent, he practically blended into the wall. He’d lost weight, his skin was grey rather than porcelain, and his gray eyes could no longer hold a hurricane. It seemed they’d barely be able to contain a little rain. 

“Is there a problem with that?” He asked, roughly, and Hermione realized she’d been staring silently at him for a moment too long. 

“No. No problem.” She answered. Her voice was kinder than it had ever been speaking to him, and it surprised him into meeting her eyes. 

“Oh,” he faltered. “Alright then.” 

They studied together in silence for a while, the only noise to break the silence the scratching of quills and whispers from across the room. 

Hermione had reached a critical point on her essay on the history of centaur rights and had to admit that the textbook was failing her in a way it never had before. She stood and moved towards the bookshelf to her right. She had chosen this table specifically due to its proximity to potential research materials. As expected, three shelves above her was a book entitled Untangling the Tail of Centaur Rights. Cringing at the title, she thought for a moment of how she would reach it. 

A soft voice came from behind her, hoarse from the hour and a half of disuse.

“Do you need help?” 

Hermione almost laughed aloud at that. Draco Malfoy was asking if she needed help. 

“I’m fine, thanks,” she said firmly. He raised a single eyebrow but said nothing. 

She returned her eyes to the bookshelf. She could levitate it down, but it was a fairly large book and looked to be pretty well wedged between the books on either side of it. She could levitate herself, but it was high enough that if she lost concentration, it’d be a long trip to the ground. 

She settled on standing on a chair, and pushed it over to where the book was. Draco had entirely given up on studying at this point, and had totally turned around in his chair to watch her attempt. His mouth was set in a way that could be either irritated or amused, and Hermione didn’t like either option. 

She climbed onto the chair and reached for the unfortunately titled book, giving it a firm pull. The book didn’t budge, but her chair did and suddenly she was floating in the air. She turned wildly to find Draco standing, wand extended, eyes wide. He lowered her to the floor, his eyebrows furrowing together.

The moment that her feet touched the floor, he stepped towards her, looking angry. She stepped up to meet him. The top of her forehead only came to his chin, and she had to jut her chin out to make any form of intimidating eye contact, but she gave it her best shot. 

“I told you I could help you.” He said, his voice hushed even in anger. 

“I know.” She answered serenely, not blinking. 

“Are you-” He started, but Hermione interrupted him. 

“Draco.”

He stared down at her. 

“Thank you,” she said, her voice not loud enough to carry but strong enough to cause him to bite his lip. 

That made him pause for a moment. He just looked at her before seeming to suddenly realize how close they were, taking a deep breath and stepping backwards. 

“Be more careful,” he spat, brusquely turning to grab his books. 

“I will be,” she answered, not moving from her spot next to the shelf. 

She saw his shoulder blades move against the gray sweater he wore, tense against each other, and he stood at the table motionlessly before…

“I study in here every night from 7-10PM. At this table.”

He didn’t turn, didn’t look at her. She didn’t expect him to. 

She cleared her throat.

“Funny. I study then too.”

His shoulder blades relaxed, and she saw his body move with a sigh. 

“Alright then,” he answered.


End file.
